Why leave in Israel rather than in Australia – besides being unable to obtain a residence permit in Australia? Israel is a Jewish state, while Australia is not. Fine, but what makes Israel Jewish? The state violates even the basic religious precepts such as Shabbat, prohibitions of foreign worship and pork, and the positive commandment to build the Temple.
Perhaps Israel is a state where Jews are safe? That’s not congruent with the six or seven wars which Israel fought in its brief modern history; Australia is empirically much safer to Jews than Israel.
Maybe, Israel is a state of Jews? But of how many Jews? Arabs are already 34% among Israel’s youth; add Slavs and Jews-by-grandfather, and Jews are already slated for a minority status in Israel in twenty years. If living in a Jew-mostly state is so valuable that it is worth fighting for, then it is surely better to have a Jew-only state, and therefore expel the Arabs. Or, if living in Jewish state is good, then it is also good to live in Jewish communities, but the Supreme Court struck down the right of Jewish communities to refuse residency to Arabs; wherever Jews go in Israel, they cannot flee Arabs.
As I can see, two things are important:
Easy access to other Jews and Jewish community. (Religious or not,Jews have a certain flavor that is distinguishable).
Secondly, perhaps even more important: absence of the antisemites.
Not living in Israel, I have hard time imagining that antisemitic Slavs would chose to immigrate to Israel. (Of course there may be some freaks, just like there are antisemitic, or self-hating Jews. Such cases need to be cured, and if incurable expelled.
Comment on affirmative action for Arabs:
There was a period time the Arab rule when intelligence actually did shine. At that time the Arab rulers were relatively less interested in religion and more in running the empire. None of the brilliant Arabs and non-Arabs of that time were Muhamedan, many clearly criticized the idea of "revealed" truth, and opposed it with observation and logical thinking.
For the last 500 years Arabs and other Muhamadans have produced almost almost nothing of value. No affirmative action is going to help as long as Arabs are stuck with their primitive Bedouin deity, Mr. Allah!
Ray,
Ironically, the problem is that there are many anti-semites in Israel, virtually all of which are the Non-Jewish Slavs (most of which are there for financial reasons anyway, not their attachment to Jewish heritage or Judaism) and Arab Muslims. Many incidents have been commented on by Israeli news sources.
Avi,
This is strange. Antisemites have the whole world Christian and Muslim world for themselves. Why would they come to Israel?
You say financial reasons?
The problem with Arabs is a little complex, but it seems that the antisemitic Slavs could just be deported back back to wherever they came from?
Israel sadly is not a Jewish state. It is a state that Jews live. It's advertised as "democratic". Judaism and democracy are not compatible. The 'state' has just announced to absorb african refugee's in the north and south. Excuse me, but WTF!! It's getting worse every day here. Jews in the galut have no idea how bad it's getting here. The arabs in Jerusalem for example are getting increasinly arrogant, treating Jews like animals. We give them work etc and they spit on us. We are forced to accomodate them all under the veil of democracy. Things are upside down. If you think that the 'slavs' are the only anti-semites, try the leftist self hating 'jews' who typically treat non-Jews better then Jews. I personally have never been so offended as I have been talking and working with the leftist self hating 'jew'. From all the prophecy, I don't know how well Obadiah is versed in it, it appears that we are almost at the bottom of the slippery slope we are heading. Things here will be incredibly hard soon. Today is a cake walk. In other words, the toilet has been flushed as we spin towards the drain.
Australia is not that hard to enter, just show you are worth enough money not to need our social security net, or that you have a marketable educational achievement. We seem to let students (<30) in and let them work for over a year to extend their 6 mo visa.
There is a largeish Jewish community in the Eastern part of Sydney, Australia. They have armed guards outside the synagogues, and the Jewish schools. There is also a fair sized Arab community in the poorer western parts of Sydney, and a couple of rabble rousing Muslim clerics regularly make the trash newspaper headlines.
Some think the existence of Israel incites the violence. 'Way I see it, fundamentalists are going to go after Jews, and Zionism is just an excuse.
Normal xenophobia, I would say, rationalized as political opposition to Israel. Every nation have to dislike someone, and Muslims for now dislike Jews.
Ray,
Your bewilderment is certainly valid. Non-Jewish Slav's enter Israel and receive all the benefits of an oleh chadash, including absorbtion baskets, reduced housing, health insurance and many other benefits. The drain Israel's resources without becoming fully integrated into society and harbor the anti-semitic attitudes that many Russians did and still do, despite their loose ties to Judaism (with one distant relative being Jewish)
The topic brought here is painfully correct.
Well, it sounds like Australia has the solution to the problem that the US and Israel are stuck with — people coming to the country without offering anything of value. The thing is, I guess, that Israel really has to accept people that have some claim to being Jewish; but does she have to give them welfare benefits? That is the leftover residue from the socialists/communists (that Ray rightly points out were among the most zealous original settlers). Any Jew clearly must be accepted in Israel, but if the welfare system is dismantled, unemployable Slavs, et cetera, wouldn't want to come. Australia is truly cool in many ways (except for the funnel-webs, maybe), but the Temple still must be built in Jerusalem.
Just wanted to mention that a close friend of my father, a Jew from Ukraine immigrated to Israel in 1989. His wife is Ukrainian, his kids are half Jewish, and his grand kids are 1/4 Jewish ethnically speaking. Both kids and grand-kids are Israeli patriots. The served honorably in the army, and are far more uncompromisingly pro-Israeli and anti-Arab than many, perhaps most Israeli Jews. It would be simply wrong to discriminate against people like this.
I think the readiness to serve and patriotism to one's adopted country is more important than the ethnicity.
On the other hand, Israeli citizens, Arabs and even Jews, who are against Israel, should not be welcome. Antisemites should be expelled, the self-hating Jewish antisemites should be treated. They need help.
In practical terms, children of Jewish fathers are usually indeed more Jewish than of Jewish mothers.
Danny, I have noticed the same thing. We have a friend who's father was Jewish, and mother was not. She had to 'convert'. I have told my wife many times how she has a truly Jewish Neshamah, acts like a Torah Jew, is very humble etc etc. When compared to many of the 'religious' born Jews (mostly ashkenazi), sadly I cannot speak so highly of them. Also in my work, I have run into several non-halachic Jews (Father only Jewish) and they have the same type of Neshamah or essence that many (more so as compared to Sephardic)that are born Jewish. I still don't think that training a person to perform tricks invented by men changes their neshamah. It just means that they are now trained vs untrained non-Jewish members of the club. Also, people who are born outside the rabbinical club of halachot (ie a Jewish father only) whether or not they perform the rabbinical tricks does not mean they don't have a Jewish Neshamah. Look at Moshe, he sensed he belonged to a certain people, before the Torah was given (factually as opposed to rabbinical tales of Adam having it), being raised by Goyim, he still knew and could relate to his own.
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Ray, if you speak of Sephardic sabra Israeli's, they are very pro Israel anti-arab. They are not in the group of 'most Israeli's'. From my experience in Israel, yes I lived there and am Israeli, the Jews of european decent are more self hating, pro-arab, anti-Torah then anyone. This does not mean all either. Just because someone is patriotic to the secular State, does not make them Jewish in a Jewish state. The Bedouin are very (well used to be) patriotic to the 'state'. They are Arabs!!! In a Jewish state, as per the Torah (not rabinical Judaism) Arabs are not included. Nor goyim!!